On Board the RYH! Mia by Becky ChestonNumber of Words: 2391 PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS Cover © Bettmann/CORBIS/MAGMA. 1 © North Wind Picture Archives. 2 © The Art Archive/Muscum of Modern Art Mexico/Dagli Orti. 5 © (tl) Hulton/ Archive by Getty Images, 5 © (tr) The Granger Collection, New York. 6 © Bettmann/CORBIS/MAGMA,. 7 © Bettmann/CORBIS/MAGMA, 9 © Garry Lay. 10 © Garry Lay. 12 © Museu de Marinaha, Libson/Bridgeman Art Library. 14 © Garry Lay. Back Cover © Bettmann/CORBIS/MAGMA. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company, All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Houghton Mifflin Company unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Address inquiries to School Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116. Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN: 0-618-482121 123456789 VH 111009 08 07 06 05 04On Board the Santa Maria by Becky Cheston ay HOUGHTON MIFFLIN BOSTONChristopher Columbus Over the years, the harbor in the town of Palos de la Frontera, Spain, has become filled with silt, or mud. But at one time, Palos was a bustling seaport. Many ships docked in its harbor. Among them was one very famous visitor. Five hundred years ago, Palos was home to the Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. The Port of Palos I left the city of Granada on the 12" of May, in the same year of 1492... and came to the town of Palos, which is a 2seaport; where I equipped three vessels... and departed from that port, well supplied with provisions and with many sailors, on the 3" day of August .. . — FROM THE DIARY OF CurisTopHER CoLumBus Christopher Columbus, known to Spaniards as Cristobal Colén, came to Palos with a purpose. He needed its port. At that time, Palos was one of only a few ports on Spain’s Atlantic seacoast. It was near the mouth of the river Tinto, and it had excellent ships. Columbus was also in need of good ships. Why? He had been named “Chief Admiral of the Ocean Sea” by Queen Isabella of Spain. He had a royal mission. Columbus assembled the people of Palos at the church of St. George. He explained to them that would be making a journey to India. But the journey would be unusual. The King and Queen had “ordered that I should not go by land to the eastward, as had been customary, but that I should go by way of the west, [where] up to this day, we do not know for certain that any one has gone.” In other words, Columbus was to sail west to reach the Far East. ‘The town of Palos was ordered to lend the King and Queen two sailing vessels, and staff them with sailors. But royal commands could not overcome fear of the unknown. It is easy to imagine the muttered conversations among ‘wrong-way” voyage: Ie, the sailors of Palos about Columbus’s“I, for one, will not sail across the Sea of Darkness!” “You won’t find me sailing off the world’s end with this crazy captain!” “They can take our ships, but there’s not a soul in Palos who will agree to serve.” Columbus knew that the journey at sea would be full of challenges. As it turned out, his problems began right there in Palos. As good as his new ships were, he could not sail them without a crew. However, Columbus was prepared. He had come to town with a small company of king’s officers. They “impressed” some sailors, or forced them into service. The officers also whisked sailors away from jails. They promised the men their freedom as a reward for making the journey. They even gave sailors advance payment. But even all of these efforts could not round up enough men to staff two ships. So Captain Martin Alonso Pinzén got to work. Gathering Ships Captain Pinzén was a citizen of Palos. He was eager to join Columbus’s mission. Pinz6n had two modern ships, the Pinta and the Nina. He knew that Columbus had come to Palos looking for ships just like his. Working for weeks in the surrounding towns, Captain Pinz6én was able to hire ninety sailors. It was more than enough for two ships. Pinzén had added a third ship, the Santa Maria.Replica of a nao ship A caravel ship The ships of Palos were the latest technology in shipbuilding. The Pinta and Nina were caravels. These were fast, light ships. The hulls (frames) were sleek for moving easily. They had thick walls for strength. And because their hulls were weighted with gravel, caravels remained stable on most stormy seas. Columbus chose the Santa Maria as his flagship, or leading ship, because it was the largest. Unlike the Nifia and the Pinta, it was not a caravel. It was a cargo ship called a mao. This means “ship” in Old Spanish. Designed for hauling heavy cargo, or freight, the Santa Maria had a fat, round hull. It was not the perfect choice for exploration. But it could carry the bulk of needed supplies. It could also carry valuables for trading with eastern kings. As the flagship, the Santa Maria would also carry Admiral Columbus himself.Side view of the Santa Maria Setting Sail August 3, 1492 We departed on Friday, the 3" of August, in the year 1492... at 8 o'clock, and proceeded with a strong sea breeze until sunset, towards the south... As part of my duty I thought it well to write an account of all the voyage very punctually, noting from day to day all that I should do and see. . . — FROM THE DIARY oF CurisropHER CoLumBus Salt from an ocean breeze hung in the air as Columbus moved from ship to ship, inspecting his fleet. On board the 6Nita, Columbus was greeted by Captain Vincente Yéfiez Pinz6n, brother of Martin Alonso. Walking the length of its deck, Columbus admired how its smooth wooden planks fit neatly edge to edge. This was one thing he liked about these caravels — a vast improvement over the decks on other ships, where each plank overlapped the next. A shout from the crow’s nest turned his gaze upward, to where the unfurled sails flapped against their masts. Lateen sails were another feature of the caravel. Triangular rather than square, these sails allowed a ship to dart expertly around the coast, sailing at an angle to the wind. And the Nifia sported a fourth mast near the stern. This would make her the best of his fleet at sailing upwind. The Nifa, the Pinta, and the Santa MariaWishing the captain a safe voyage, Columbus made his way to the Pinta, where Captain Martin Pinzén was eager to set sail. As they strode the deck together, Columbus noted how much larger it seemed than the Nia. Pinz6n agreed. “She’s at least two meters longer,” he said. “And we outweigh her by about 20 tons.” A nearby commotion brought the two men to the side of the ship. Captain de la Cosa, commander of the Santa Maria, was waving Columbus over to the flagship. When the Admiral stepped on board, he was greeted by a small crowd of distinguished passengers. Columbus and his king and queen were certain the fleet would discover new shipping routes to India and China. So they brought together people who would be helpful in communicating with Eastern royalty. Columbus shook hands with an attorney, who was expected to fill out forms and proclamations; a secretary and historian, who would record adventures; a linguist who could speak ten languages; a jeweler and silversmith to assess precious stones; doctor, a surgeon, and several excellent cooks. Now, with the morning sun over the main mast, Columbus shouted to his captains that the time had come. As a crowd murmured from the docks, sailors hoisted the anchors aboard. Sails unfurled with great flaps and caught the morning wind as the ships pulled out into Palos’s harbor. Soon they shrank into specks on the horizon, headed for the Sea of Darkness.3. Atlantic Ocean Canary» Islands . weg 2 The first leg of Columbus's voyage To the Canary Islands August 6, 1492 The rudder of the caravel Pinta became [broken], and Martin Alonso Pinzén, who was in command, believed or suspected that it was [the work] of Gomez Rascén and Cristébal Quintero, to whom the caravel belonged. . . . — FROM THE DIARY OF CurisTOPHER CoLumBUS The first leg of the voyage took the fleet south, toward the Canary Islands off the northern coast of Africa. From there, the real westward journey would begin. But trouble began before the ships even reached the Canaries.Atlantic Ocean ae Je s Lanzarote Canary Istands La Palma Gomera if Tenerife Fuerteventura Hierro oa Canaria Map of the Canary Islands On the Santa Maria, crewmen worked in four-hour shifts, measured by turning an ampolleta, or sandglass, eight times. Sailors took turns pumping bilge, swabbing the deck, working the sails, inspecting ropes, and checking cargo. They caught sleep wherever they could find a dry, sheltered spot. Only the captain, and, of course, the Admiral had private quarters. Even though the sailors were distracted by their work, fear and worry lined their faces. So when a rowboat arrived with a message from the Pinta, three days into the journey, anxious whispers spread from man to man. 10“The Pinta’s rudder has broken off,” explained the breathless messenger. “She can sail west no more!” “T’'ll see to it that she can sail round the world!” cried Columbus. He then gave orders for the Pinta to follow the Santa Maria to the Canary Island of Gomera, where he knew some shipbuilders. While they repaired the rudder, Columbus heard the story that was making the rounds among Pinta’ crew. Captain Martin Pinzén suspected that two of the men on board — owners of the ship — had caused the damage because they were afraid to continue the journey. Whatever the cause, Columbus was not about to let a broken rudder interfere with his mission. In fact, he gave orders to improve the Pinta by changing some of her lateen sails for square-rigged ones. This way, the ship would be able to take advantage of strong back winds for greater speed. The fleet remained in the Canary Islands for a month. One night, the sailors, already frightened by the unknown seas ahead, saw fire light up the sky. Islanders explained that this was an active volcano on the island of Tenerife. But the crewmen were certain this was a sign their voyage was doomed. They begged the Admiral to go home. Soon after that, Columbus ordered his sailors back onto the ships. But they did not turn back. Instead, on September 6", the fleet was finally westward bound. One last incident marked their exit from the Canaries. Columbus noted in his journal some news he had received. ll\s Joao Il, the king of Portugal from 1481-1495 ‘Three Portuguese ships were off the island of Hierro, planning on capturing him. Columbus knew that the deal he had made with Spain angered the king of Portugal. The king wished he had sponsored the mission himself. With a fiery mountain behind them, and the Sea of Darkness ahead, now the crew were afraid they would be drowned, captured, or killed. But the Admiral, an expert mariner, managed to escape his pursuers. At last, he led his fleet away from the coast and out into the open sea. 12Across the Ocean For almost three weeks the fleet sailed across uncharted waters. To most sailors, the experience was like following a stranger blindfolded over new land. Columbus was well aware how his crewmen felt. He knew that they spent the long days and nights complaining to one another that they would never be able to return home. A few trusted men even told Columbus of a plot going on behind his back. If the Admiral persisted in going forward with the voyage, they whispered, he might find himself being thrown into the sea one night! So Columbus used a little deception to make the sailors think they were a little closer to home. As soon as they left the Canary Islands, Columbus began to keep two separate records. In one, he kept an accurate total of the distance traveled each day. In the other, he kept a false total that was a bit less. For example, on September 13", the Santa Maria traveled 33 leagues, but Columbus recorded only 29. He figured the sailors would be less scared if they didn’t know how far out to sea they really were. Still, the sailors worried. Even the compass that Columbus and his pilots used to navigate alarmed them. Not many sailors understood this new navigation method. So when the compass needle, which usually points north, moved slightly west, (a natural variation), some crew members believed that sea goblins were dragging them off course to their doom. 135 o Atlantic Ocean Africa Hispaniola West Indies Columbus's route from Spain to the West Indies and back By the third week in September, sailors spotted signs of land. On September 16, Columbus wrote that they “began to see many tufts of grass which were very green, and appeared to have been quite recently torn from the land. From this they judged that they were near some island, but not the main land .. .” In fact, the Santa Maria had entered the Sargasso Sea, which is dotted with weeds and sea grass. Day by day, sailors spotted terns and gulls, crabs swimming among the weeds, and pelicans — further signs of land. Now the crew became hopeful. Perhaps the journey would end safely on land, and soon. But the Admiral refused to allow his pilots to steer toward the signs. He knew that 14the land he sought lay further west, and would not divert his attention to islands in their path. Then came the biggest disappointment of all. On September 25, Captain Martin Pinzén called to the Admiral from the poop deck of the Pinta. He had seen land. Sailors on the Nifa climbed the masts and rigging to confirm the sighting. On the Santa Maria, the crew did the same. The fleet sailed all night toward the sight. But when dawn broke, the image of land dissolved into its true form: clouds. Land! October 10, 1492 During the day and night they made 59 leagues, counted as no more than 44. Here the people could endure no longer. . . — FROM THE DIARY OF CurisToPHER CoLumBUS Columbus knew that his destination was near. But he feared that unless they discovered land soon, the crew could seize the ship and toss him overboard. The Admiral knew he had to keep his men focused. So he made an announcement: Whoever spotted land first would be rewarded with five hundred dollars and a silk jacket. Suddenly, all sailors were on alert. At two o’clock on the morning of October 12, Rodrigo de ‘Triana, a sailor on board the Pinta, spied the blurred lines of a low, long coast. One by one, the three ships sailed toward the shore and lowered their anchors. 15The Santa Maria never made the trip home to Spain. On Christmas Day of 1492, she ran aground on the shores of the island of Hispaniola — which Columbus still firmly believed was the Far East. Glossary bilge lowest part of a ship’s hull where water collects crow’s nest small lookout platform near the top of a ship’s mast flagship leading ship in a fleet hull the frame or body of a ship mariner one who navigates a ship mast a tall vertical pole that rises from a ship’s deck main mast the tallest or central mast plank a long, thin piece of wood poop a structure near the stern, or rear, of a ship rigging the arrangement of masts and sails on a ship rudder a hinged plate, used for steering, that hangs from the rear of a ship 16Responding Think About What You Have Read Why were caravels like the Pinta and the Nifia good for exploration? Why was the Santa Maria named flagship of the fleet? Jas ita better ship? Explain your answer. What “special” passengers made the journey, and why? EB Was Columbus right to lie to his crew about how far they had sailed from home? Explain your answer. Activity Design a poster, brochure, or full-page advertisement that encourages sailors to sign aboard an exploration ship. Use books, encyclopedias, or Internet articles to research ships used in the past for seagoing expeditions. Take notes on important features and make sketches or print out pictures. Include a catchy slogan or headline. Make sure that your text describes your ship’s important features and explains why the ship is good for exploration.TU OB tu oa HOUGHTON MIFFLIN